And thank you for such a beautiful 'birthday card' and such a nice post about our celebration on your site. Us fantasy fans have to stick together. Koru: Maori symbol representing a fern frond as it opens. The koru reaches towards the light, striving for perfection, encouraging new, positive beginnings.

"Life can't be all work and no TORn" -- jflower

"I take a moment to fervently hope that the camaradarie and just plain old fun I found at TORn will never end" -- LOTR_nutcase

Yep, doing art as a full-time profession is SOOOO different to that rat-race life before that! I could never go back. No day feels like work. Mind you, no day feels like a holiday, either. Every day's a workday and every day's a holiday, too - it's just a kind of continuum, in which weekends are meaningless, and I never remember what day it is.

Do you want to jump ship? I bet Del Toro could use a another good man. ''What connects Nature to the spiritual, or requires the presence of the latter? In positive terms, as Alkis Kontos points out, when nature was still largely experienced as integral, alive and active, 'It was the spiritual dimension of the world, its enchanted, magical quality that rendered it infinite, not amenable to complete calculability; spirit could not be quanified; it permitted and invited mythologization.' And I would add, it still is and does.'' Patrick Curry-Defending Middle-Earth-Tolkien: Myth and Modernity - chapter: 'The Sea: Spirituality and Ethics.'

May the grace of ManwŰ let us soar with eagle's wings! In the air, among the clouds in the sky Here is where the birds of Manwe fly Looking at the land, and the water that flows The true beauty of earth shows With the stars of Varda lighting my way In all the realms this is where I stay In the realm of ManwŰ S˙limo

I don't often get to listen to your interviews, unfortunately, but I devour the transcripts that Deleece does for us. It's truly turned into a fabulous partnership, hasn't it? Thank you for your message and for the great work you do for, and with, us! Koru: Maori symbol representing a fern frond as it opens. The koru reaches towards the light, striving for perfection, encouraging new, positive beginnings.

"Life can't be all work and no TORn" -- jflower

"I take a moment to fervently hope that the camaradarie and just plain old fun I found at TORn will never end" -- LOTR_nutcase

showing you your map framed and up in front of me as i sit at my desk. I just love it.

Map''What connects Nature to the spiritual, or requires the presence of the latter? In positive terms, as Alkis Kontos points out, when nature was still largely experienced as integral, alive and active, 'It was the spiritual dimension of the world, its enchanted, magical quality that rendered it infinite, not amenable to complete calculability; spirit could not be quanified; it permitted and invited mythologization.' And I would add, it still is and does.'' Patrick Curry-Defending Middle-Earth-Tolkien: Myth and Modernity - chapter: 'The Sea: Spirituality and Ethics.'

May the grace of ManwŰ let us soar with eagle's wings! In the air, among the clouds in the sky Here is where the birds of Manwe fly Looking at the land, and the water that flows The true beauty of earth shows With the stars of Varda lighting my way In all the realms this is where I stay In the realm of ManwŰ S˙limo

I think I was drawn to the onion skins originally. (I love natural objects and they're about the only thing that truly inspires me to draw), but in seeing the steps, I'm struck by the shininess and reflectivity of the knife (I think I have that knife, btw!). I think that's a subtle effect that worked on me subliminally. Thanks for posting those.

Yes, I can imagine that wrapping paper would be an archivist's nightmare. But I'm going to remember that if I have to do something similar.

Okay, that as a backdrop at rhe 20th Anniversary Party would be pushing it a bit too much I think--

But I just want to say, THANK YOU Xoanan, and all the other three, for what a wonderful gift you've given us. You have no idea. And I can't imagine how my (attimes) crotechedy self keeps "This place alive" but I will try to help!:)

LOVED the video--have to remember that winter is starting down there, everyone else must have been cold! LOL at them trying to fit TORN in--and it was GREAT seeing some of my favorite LOTR props (the Orc head on a spike--Shagrat?--yay!) Amazing how Guillermo looks already the head of the team, filling PJ's place...

To various VIPS--Guillermo, I have replied already in other threads--thank you for participating in WETA's birthday tribute/card. Looking great!

Kristen: YOu know already how I feel about your book--like Peredhil, I have posted on this at length. Thank you again for a wonderful work of scholarship, and looking to "Team Hobbit" whatever it will eventually be called!

Doug Adams--(if he shows up in here)--that goes for your book as well, can't wait to read it as well as attend the show at Radio City!

Doug Jones--do mine eyes deceive me? What are YOU doing on TORN, Mr. J? We wonders, yes we does. Hoping you are indeed becoming a 'member of the family." All the rest-I don't "know" you as well as I should, but after these great posts I promise to do so better!

And last to all the Mods--esp Altaira and Ataahua. Thank you so much for all you do. You have no idea, again. It must be tough at times--hard work. But you have made this such an enjoyable place to be.

"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauronĺs master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded b*****d with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.

Here are a couple of those watercolour demonstration paintings I mentioned. The first one is painted with a limited palette of only two colours: indigo and burnt sienna. So you have to make the most of tone and composition:

And for this next one, I put myself on the spot, asking "What shall I paint now?". "Do some figures" they replied, and "A beach scene". I also wanted to demonstrated a graded wash, so I painted this picture, very quickly, and with no initial sketching beforehand - just straight from my head onto paper with paint. Fast and immediate, necessarily loose:

Beggin' your pardon, but there ain't no eaves at Bag End, and that's a fact.

Actually, I did eavesdrop on various map threads a few times, and it was very heart-warming to do so. :-) I saw a handful of the frames - amazing how many different choices were made, but all appropriate!

"Ah, how ironic, the addictive qualities of Sauronĺs master weapon led to its own destruction. Which just goes to show, kids - if you want two small and noble souls to succeed on a mission of dire importance... send an evil-minded b*****d with them too." - Gandalf's Diaries, final par, by Ufthak.

No problem! It was an interesting experience doing demonstration paintings (same goes for the Sketching Tour) - you kinda put yourself on the spot and have to paint by instinct, with hardly any forward planning. Very good practice.

I was fortunate to meet you at ORC 2006 and you autographed one of my favourite images of our hobbits! I was completely enchanted by this perfect respresentation of their personalities! But your enthusiasm made taking this home with me all the more meaningful. I have it displayed with my Sideshow figures of all 4 hobbits :) I still smile every time I stop and just enjoy it.

So many of our stories begin so quietly and personal; but they've led us all here where we can share our excitement and joy. Ten years! It's hard to believe.

Thank you so much for being here :D

"Barney Snow was here." ~Hug like a hobbit!~ "In my heaven..."

I really need these new films to take me back to, and not re-introduce me to, that magical world.

You surely picked a great time to join in. Stick around, there should more to come. ''What connects Nature to the spiritual, or requires the presence of the latter? In positive terms, as Alkis Kontos points out, when nature was still largely experienced as integral, alive and active, 'It was the spiritual dimension of the world, its enchanted, magical quality that rendered it infinite, not amenable to complete calculability; spirit could not be quanified; it permitted and invited mythologization.' And I would add, it still is and does.'' Patrick Curry-Defending Middle-Earth-Tolkien: Myth and Modernity - chapter: 'The Sea: Spirituality and Ethics.'

May the grace of ManwŰ let us soar with eagle's wings! In the air, among the clouds in the sky Here is where the birds of Manwe fly Looking at the land, and the water that flows The true beauty of earth shows With the stars of Varda lighting my way In all the realms this is where I stay In the realm of ManwŰ S˙limo